Sex, Lies, and Liberty

We live in a culture of lies, fascades, deception and selfishness, and misinterpretations of biblical truths abound, particularly regarding definitions of liberty. Just as what became the norm in the declining era or ancient Greece, Rome, and Corinth, the jewel in the crown of this dark and Godless philosophy is what is called "sexual freedom". It is, however, nothing more than what the Bible warns us against perhaps more than any other sin: sexual immorality.

"Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.
For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. "
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

HE WHO REJECTS THIS INSTRUCTION REJECTS GOD. IF THIS DOESN'T GET YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE SEEK COUNSELING AND PRAYER IMMEDIATELY.

There is something particularly insidious about sexual immorality, for a couple reasons that come to my mind in particular:(a) the loss of self control that in itself opens the flood gates to a whole host of other sins, and (b) because of the spiritual and emotional mechanisms that God has engineered to be beneficial to us in the act of marriage. Sex apart from marriage creates and maintains bonds between partners that were never intended of any relationship outside of marriage.
We are to be sanctified, set apart from the world for holy purposes, not joined to it! These ties are hard to break, with good reason, and so as people move about in promiscuity, disobeying God, they heap disaster on themselves, tie themselves to sinful relationships, unequal yokes...the end results are tremendous damages- physically(diseases), emotionally, and spiritually.

"But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self‑control."
1 Corinthians 7:2-5

The Word tells us that those of us who are married are not to be selfish, but to put the needs of their spouse above their own; we are not to use our bodies or sex as a weapon against the other, and we are not to deprive their spouses. When sex is withheld as punishment or as manipulation, or for whatever reason, this causes emotional distancing from one another, insecurity, anger, suspicion, jealousy, and opens the door to a variety of temptations, which can lead to sexual immorality-adultery.

“Everything is permissible for me”–but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”–but I will not be mastered by anything. “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food”–but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Beloved, let us remember who we belong to, having been bought and paid for at an extremely high cost, His mark of ownership is on us... be sanctified and walk in holiness, love, giving thanks to Him who is worthy and has the best plan for each of us-as we obey Him.
This is where we find real freedom, liberty, and truth.

The Divider 305

“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother‑in‑law against daughter‑in‑law and daughter‑in‑law against mother‑in‑law.”
Luke 12:49-53

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double‑edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."
Hebrews 4:12, 13

When I was an atheist, the limited knowledge of the concept of Jesus and Christianity disturbed me deeply. Before my salvation experience, I was irked and annoyed by Him, even then my very thoughts were being divided within my spirit. My salvation divided me out from an unbelieving world, from an eternal damnation in a fiery hell into the glorious majestic Kingdom of God.
There is a saying that goes something like this: "avoid discussions involving politics and religion especially with family if you want to avoid fights and division." reread the very words of the Master in Luke 12! If you were raised in an unbelieving family, do you remember the reaction to your salvation, and what happened when you happily announced it to unbelievers, the reality of Jesus was thrust onto the scene, into your family and social life?
Jesus will cause instant consternation and division, overturning tables, bringing about a similar reaction as when Jesus confronted the raging demoniac possessed by legions of demons, or other demon possessed people, all "hell" breaking loose.
Jesus came to divide light from darkness, the spirit from the flesh, good from evil, belief from unbelief, sanctification means to be set apart-we are set apart for His purposes and good pleasure-we are to be divided from worldly and fleshly things.
We are no longer of this world, having become sojourners, strangers in a strange land.
When division and upheaval comes because of Jesus, joyfully embrace it (James 1), pray as the dust is swirling, He is at work, ruining old paradigms, dividing and trashing idols, fear, shame, unforgiveness, and all manner of sins, when everything settles, unity that comes through Jesus will prevail.

Words

Today I am convalescing and am meditating on God, and His Word, His Magnificence, His Holy Spirit. I am overtaken by all that Jesus is-our all in all. He is the solution to every problem, and salvation is found no where else, in no other Name under the heavens:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.” "
Mark 12:30, 31

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
In him was life, and that life was the light of men."
John 1:1-4

"His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me."
Song of Solomon 2:6

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.
Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.
And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined!
For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
Isaiah 6:1-5

"What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.
I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ."
Philippians 3:8

"But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall."
Malachi 4:2

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Matthew 5:3-11

The more I seek Him, the more I find Him available and accessible.
He beckons to us to seek His Face, His fiery gaze is seeking to lock onto ours.
The greater the hunger and thirst, the greater the banquet, so sumptuous the feast He has set before us.
Do you feel His draw, the spiritual hunger and magnetism the communion that we are created for?
Either you understand me and say Amen, or this leaves you puzzled, thinking me a Jesus freak or perhaps even a fool.
Whichever your assessment, it is well with my soul.

Foundations/ Moments of Truth

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
Luke 6:46-49

Feeding on the Word of God, and being disciples, and doing what Jesus commanded becomes critical especially in times of testing and trials...when the winds blow, and the shaking comes. The moments of truth...when foundations that have been prepared, and roots that have gone deep as a result of the Gardener's pruning and proper "feeding" will stand the testing. If you are a young believer, or have been spared up till your reading of this post, or you have gone through your share already, be rest assured: the trials will come,
BUILD AND FORTIFY YOUR FOUNDATIONS NOW.
These trials will come in many different forms: sickness, death of someone near you, financial issues, persecution as a Christian for your faith, marriage upheaval, prodigal children, governmental evil in the country you live in as Christians are more and more becoming targets.
Beloved, eat the scroll, feed upon His Word, as He is the Word.
To eat the scroll is as taking communion with Him...pray without ceasing.
Prepare to stand and stay standing in every moment of Truth and testing.

Invaluable 233

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety‑nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety‑nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost."
Matthew 18:12-14

The Lord never ceases to amaze me with His love that is uncompromising, furious, and relentless.
He will never accept the loss of any of his sheep, any prodigal, anyone who gets lost, so valuable are each of us to Him!
We are priceless to the Lord, we are the reward of His suffering.
How valuable is He to us?
He was betrayed for thirty pieces of silver, but He gave His life up for us,
He endured a horrible death on the cross, while we were yet sinners He died for us,
offering us eternal life for our choosing...because of His great love for us.
How can we not be compelled, and love Him in return?
Let us set our love upon Him-hearts, mind, body, soul, spirit...on Him, constantly and consistently.
Let us do no less.

Resolve and Patience 303

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
James 5:7-11

There is no question that exercising patience, is one of the most difficult aspects of my life as a disciple, and most others as well.
The fact is that practicing patience is not a natural human trait.
We live in an instant gratification world, a world where twitter, Facebook, google and a huge river of data rushes around us; merchandisers hawk their wares, proclaiming that we don't need to wait, we can have it all now, and pay for it later, and then some. Who can even fathom the concept of a prophetic voice foretelling what would be realized 700, 400, or 100 years from now? The USA is only 236 years old, Plymouth Rock was landed not even 400 years ago. We are a people in a young civilization that is thin on resolve, endurance, and the concept of patience. Yet these are things that the Lord desires, I dare say requires we have, lest we go running away, falling short, at the first signs of disappointment, or stormy horizons.
We are to be patient until the coming of the Lord.

We have no idea, beloved, what this timeline looks like, but we need to know that the time is short. He will come, and when He does it will happen as a thief in the night, suddenly, but until then we are to strengthen our hearts, our resolve-and practice the art of patience.

Expressions of Love 297

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Galatians 5:13

But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
1 Corinthians 6:17-20

Spiritual freedom, freedom from sin, is gained when we join ourselves to the Lord. Jesus said that no one can serve two masters, that we will serve one and despise the other. The implication is that whether we admit to it or not we are always serving someone or something.
Freedom as a Christian can be misunderstood, and such misunderstandings have been occurring since the earliest church. Our freedom as disciples of Jesus means to do what He did and what He tells us to do- freedom from sin, but not to do whatever we feel like we want to do,Which is the spirit of this age, which means that our flesh, our bodies would then be the master over our spirit.
Discipline, from the term "disciple", means to a Christian that we walk in the Spirit, not according to flesh, we are spoken for by the Bridegroom. We are to love and serve one another, and if Jesus wouldn't take part in something then neither do we, especially since there is nothing done in secret that is unseen by our Creator God. We do not belong to ourselves, we belong to the Lord and He is holy. Jesus said that "He will be with us even to the end of the age"...
Let us remember that, beloved, in all times including hardship, testing, provision, and temptation.
We belong to Him.

Preeminence 234

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."
Revelation 22:13

"...that in all things He would have preeminence."
Col.1:18

Recently I read an article by Stephen Venable from IHOP-KC that ignited something extraordinary in my spirit regarding beholding Jesus, or more aptly put, how we should behold Jesus.
Early this morning the Holy Spirit repeated in my Spirit, deep calling into really, really, deep, the word preeminent along with the scripture of Rev. 22:13.
The concept, or rather, the realization, of the greatness of the person and identity of Jesus, and how it affects our lives: actions, thoughts, attitudes, everything.
Jesus said that He is the beginning and the end, first and last...this applies not only to chronology/time, and sequences, but truly in everything. As we hunger and thirst, our fullness, satisfaction, contentment, and fulfillment are found in Him alone. I have found,though, if we are too casual, too familiar, as perhaps the Children of Israel who witnessed so many miracles in the desert may have become, Jesus may be trivialized or taken for granted.
Let us never forget for a moment who Jesus is, what He accomplished for our benefit, both in this life and the life to come, and let us behold Him, in all of His glory and magnificence, all the time, keeping Him as our one and only magnificent obsession.
He is more than worthy!

Too Many To Count 303

"Many, O Lord my God,
are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare."
Psalm 40:5

"So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
Ephesians 3:17-19

Last night as I slept the Lord was speaking to me, reminding me of His faithfulness,
recounting His goodness to me.
So many are the wonders He has done for us, so many blessings, deliverance coming often at 11:59:59, beyond hope or expectations:
Providing my life partner, the spouse that is perfect for me, at a time I was not even looking for a mate,
Successful pregnancies, and beautiful children after a series of miscarriages and broken hearts,
Prodigal children who come home, falling in love with Jesus,
Serious diseases and illnesses healed against all the doctor's prognoses,
Finances miraculously provided, times and time again, when there was no prospect shortly before,
Protection from traffic accidents that damaged and destroyed other vehicles,
homes spared from hurricanes and tornados,
Restoring brokenness and dysfunction, and using us for His divine purposes,
And so many more...
Our Redeemer lives, and the plans He has for us are great ones.
Let us draw near to Him joyfully with thanksgiving, praising Him, dispelling fear, worry, doubt...his love for us deeper, wider, higher, and longer than we can imagine.

Fear and Trembling 298

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. "
Phil. 2;12-13

“… but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”
Romans 8.13 

Imagine these scenarios:

The phone rings, on the other end is an important client of yours. You and your employees have just finished renovating his home, and the client is now informing you that he is missing things, personal property, from his home. The possible fallout could ruin your reputation, your good name and integrity is at stake. The only possible person who had exposure and opportunity is a trusted employee and friend, a devout Christian who is actively involved in his congregation. Upon  questioning him, he sheepishly admits stealing those items, but instead of coming clean, he lies about the circumstances, etc.

You turn on the news to see a breaking story about a prominent and trusted religious figure being accused of mismanaging his church's finances, or rampant rumors about his infidelity...

We have all seen the results of the wages of sin.  Misdeeds of the body, orchestrated by a backslidden, proud, and/or arrogant mind, that has failed to take every vain, empty, and dark thought captive.
The scriptures say, "So as a man thinks, he becomes."
What is the result , the huge cost, to a person, to those around them, and even to those whom they don't personally know?
How weighty the concept: "WORK OUT YOUR SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING." It is one thing to be responsible for your own eternal destiny, how much moreso, how heavy the responsibility for the salvation of others, and the eternal consequences of having kept precious souls from entering into heaven, those who have been driven from the arms of the Savior because of the pain and hurt caused by the fall of one that was so close, so trusted, so dear to them?
Let us draw near to Him, zealously pursuing ownership of "the mind of Christ", and being conscious of our responsibilities as we work out our salvation daily...we are our brother's keepers.
There but for the grace of God goes each of us.

Focus

"Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him."
Matthew 4:18-22

"Another of the disciples said to Him, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead." When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing!" He said to them, "Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.
Matthew 8:21-27

I find it interesting that although Matthew's Gospel records some of the disciples, upon hearing Jesus' beckoning them, immediately left their livelihoods, and followed the Lord, but just a short time later it seems that the cares of the world ("Permit me to go bury my father...") and unbelief ("why are you afraid, you of little faith?")had crept in.
In all honesty, I find the same challenges in my own walk, as I continue to run this lifelong marathon.
The Holy Spirit reminds me though: "Do not look at what is behind you, forge ahead, don't look to the left or the right, as taking your eyes off the prize will cause you to veer off your intended course."
The parakletos also reminds me (us)not to think with a worldly mindset, especially in difficult times; we are to stay focused, walk by faith, and not by sight.

Figuring It Out 237

"I'm so alone.": Headline cover quote of Kim Kardashian, Life Style Magazine.

I’ve been chasin’ the wind
Trying hard to win
A race I was never meant to run
Seeking for selfish gain
All the while using Your name
As a stool to stand upon
To hear mine proclaimed
"So many wasted days I’ve spent living for the dream
Seeking a life of comfort no matter what the means 
So many wasted days I’ve spent living for the dream
Until I finally realized that life isn’t what it seems
I finally got it figured out, true happiness can only be given by You
Jesus, most joyful man I finally got it figured out, my goal, sole purpose
Is to be loved by You and to love You in return
All that was to my gain I count it now as loss
For the sake of knowing You, Jesus, I forget what lies behind
I press on to win the prize  there is so much more of You, that I have to know
There is so much more of me, that’s left to give"
"Chasing, by Justin Rizzo

We live in a culture where success is measured in dollars, the posh and luxurious life. As I was at the grocery store yesterday I saw the headline above: Kim Kardashian's sad statement about being all alone. Here is a young woman with material success, fame, posh living, but she is hounded by emptiness, sadness, loneliness. I hear it and see it over and over again: the pinnacle of fame and wealth is attained, the ability to acquire every material thing along with it.
But from the depths of their souls this question is shouted:
"IS THAT ALL THERE IS?"
Beloved, the only Way to true happiness is found in Jesus,
salvation is found in no other name under the heavens or on this earth.
Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
We live for one purpose: To love....To love the Lord our God with everything we are-all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to be loved by Him, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
To know our Heavenly Father/Master/Bridegroom is to love him, and to love Him, is to embrace His commandments, His word, and be led by the Holy Spirit, not our fleshly religious spirits.
To know God as revealed through His Holy Spirit and His Word, to walk with Him and hear His voice, and have the blessed assurance of eternity with Him when this life is over is the greatest treasure. Everything else is like garbage, worthless by comparison.
Lay up treasures in heaven which cannot rust, decay, or be stolen.

All Consuming Fire 235

"The Son, radiant Image of the Father's glory, proclaimed that He had come to cast a fire upon the earth and that He longed for it to burst into blaze. It was in the form of fiery tongues that the Holy Spirit of Pentecost descended upon a timorous group of men and women. Their minds and hearts having been enkindled with a burning love and ardent zeal, those who received the Spirit sparked the astonishing transformation of an unbelieving and corrupt civilization into a community of faith and love.
In our day the divine fire has not been extinguished. The consuming conflagration has not been contained.the proven incapacity of committees and clubs, speeches and surveys, electronics and entertainment profoundly and and permanently to change vast numbers of people for the better has to be conceded. As the experience of the centuries attests, true transformations in the world and in the Church continue to come only about through the intervention of men and women on fire- that is, through saints.
The evidence is overwhelming. It is alo widely ignored, for it contains an otherworldly wisdom that this world does not welcome. indeed at this very moment, deep and lasting changes in the Church are being brought about by a faithful few who are burning interiorly as a consequence of the deep prayer given by the Holy Spirit, who renews the face of the earth in ways other than our own. These quiet, humble, unassuming individuals seldom write position papers, and are not likely to appear on controversial television talk shows or to attract frontage headlines. They are not identified with an "ism" and they care nothing for a life of luxury or notoriety...they are like the saints that have always been...the burning ones are the unflickering light of the world, the savory salt of the earth, the lively leaven in the mass."
- Thomas Dubay, FIRE WITHIN

“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!"
Luke 12:49

There is a fire that is burning in the hearts of those who hunger and thirst after the "All Consuming Fire", and this fire is being released across the earth, in the hearts of saints everywhere. There is a breakthrough coming as everyday people who are tired of "same old same old" are diving deeper, acknowleding the call to prayer and the desire to imitate Jesus, their dried out souls are perfect kindling for the Holy Spirit to ignite the fire within them, to set ablaze their inner man. A generation tired of tv shows, movies, and all manner of entertainment, who are beholding Jesus in all His magnificence are burning, hungering, and thirsting for the only One who will ever satisfy us.
Today beloved, if you are wondering what has been missing, if you are hungering and thirsting, shut down those distractions, get away into your prayer closet, confess your dryness and emptiness, ask for His Spirit to be poured out without measure and get ready to receive it.

Falling Like Flies/Remembering The Heights

Tonight my wife and I ran across the names of people we once attended church with, we found them on youTube- they are musicians, and once led worship at our former church.
On their website their music is all secular, there is a video about the story of their lives, and there is no mention of God, their former(?)faith...nothing.
Remember the heights from which you have fallen.
I wish this were a rare story, but as I take a look around I see the wreckage of once strong Christian lives scattered and strewn about like the once powerful Egyptian armies after the Israeli Defense Forces destroyed them in the Six Day War, leaving nothing but carnage behind.
A valley of dry bones.

"Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."
Matthew 24:12, 13

Take a look around...if you have been walking with the Lord, running this race, been in "the Lord's army" for a while I am sure you can relate. Many have been deceived, fallen from the heights, backslidden and fallen out of relationship with their First Love:

"Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place."
Revelation 2:4, 5

When a season of refining and pruning comes, when we stumble and fall down, when we have opened doors that we know should never have been unsealed, we get back up,repent, close those doors and nail them shut, take a deep breath, cast aside fear, discouragement, unforgiveness, hatred, lust, unbelief, we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. We continue to "eat the scroll", stay in His Holy Word daily, we keep on praying and seeking Him....he who endures to the end will be saved. HE WHO ENDURES TO THE END WILL BE SAVED.
This implies that those who do not endure to the end will be lost...LOST!
There is nothing in this world that will give lasting satisfaction-ever.
There is no other place to go to, no other name under heaven by which we can or will be saved.
The only one we must be surrendered to, and stay that way, is the Lord Jesus;
His will, His ways, not our own.
Beloved, do not turn to the left or the right, stayed focused on the Lord Jesus, all day, everyday, He is to be our Magnificent Obsession...it is no different for us in this regard than it was for the children of Israel, in every generation,
we are being warned to love and worship the Lord our God only.
Be bold and courageous, love fiercely, be vigilant and wary against the wiles of our enemy, do not tread where Christians aren't supposed to go, crucify those dark secrets no one knows about except Jesus, remember that we are in an ongoing war till the end that we will win but-
We must never never never never never give up.

Vance Havner said, "Show me a Christian whose Bible is falling apart, and I'll show you a Christian whose life isn't."

Picking and Choosing 236

"Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry."
1 Samuel 15:22-23a


Although Saul made many sacrifices on the altar to God, he had failed to obey the word of the Lord in its entirety. In this passage (1 Samuel 15) he succumbed to the will of the people, choosing to have selective obedience, picking and choosing from what he had been commanded to do by the Lord.
Selective obedience also means selective disobedience.
What are synonyms for disobedience?
Rebellion...arrogance...pride...these are the seeds of the harvest of downfall and destruction, individually and corporately.

I heard Lou Engle ask the question, "What if Jesus had chosen to be selectively disobedient on just one point? What if He chose to turn the stone into bread (which He was capable of) at the devil's command?

The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:3-4

Just as Saul's kingship was torn away from him, Jesus' authority would've been tainted, nullified, because of sin, and our salvation shattered.
Jesus, the Son of the Living God, understands total obedience, and we can too. The Lord Jesus pronounced over us, " Greater things than these shall you do" ...

Beloved, listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd, do not shrink back.
Total obedience is the requirement.
Do not trivialize or diminish the commands of the Lord, or any prophetic word spoken over you, even if it was years ago but has not been fulfilled yet.
Obedience is better than sacrifice.

The Plumb Line

Recently I watched a movie about a well known wealthy movie producer, Tom Shadyac, who had a traumatic concussion. The injury caused medical and mental conditions that he eventually recovered from, but these events caused him To take a look around, and to ask profound life questions:
A) What is wrong with the world we live in? and B) What can I do about it?
These are important questions but in all of this and his quest for answers and truth, he still missed it.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."
John 1:1-4, 10-13

Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
John 14:6

Tom visited with all types of spiritual people, philosophers and scientists.
But he never asked more basic profound existential questions:
"Who am I, what is my purpose, why was I created"
"How did all of this get here?
"What is real peace and fulfillment and where is it found?"
In this film he never expresses thoughts about God.

Jesus is the beginning, and He is the end, the Alpha and the Omega!
He created all things, maintains all things, He is the foundation, plumb line, Cornerstone,
He is everything. But that is just the "tip of the iceberg"... We are His masterpiece, His greatest creation, He didn't just make us because He was bored, the Lord created us to commune with Him, and dwell in relationship, face to face, heart to heart, with Him.
We can love, because He loved us first, and it was because of His great love for us that He endured the shame and pain of the cross.
This was the point of breakthrough for me, as I believe it will be for Tom, when I was looking for the answers to those mysterious profound questions. The Lord Jesus' great love for me, how desperately and jealouly He loves us, and how He is mindful of each of us, even while we are/were yet "far away from home".
Abundant, joyful, fulfilled living is wrapped up in relationship with Jesus. Only He can satisfy, sweeping away disillusion, deception, emptiness, satisfying our deepest cravings, the last piece of the puzzle we call "life".

Excellence

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
1 Corinthians 10:31

Jesus said, "By their fruit you will know them."
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self‑control.
How do all these things combine to manifest in our lives?
What will others see in us in the marketplace, offices, construction sites, classrooms, highways, malls, wherever our workplace is, wherever we happen to be?
Jesus is our King ...We call Him Lord, He is to be our Master in all we do and pursue....our excellence for the Most Excellent One, our best, our utmost for His Highest.
Today, let God's glory shine through you and in you, through every word that comes from your mouth, and through every action, no matter how seemingly trivial, let it shout:
UNTO YOU LORD, MY UTMOST FOR YOU, MY MASTER, MY KING, YOU ARE WORTHY

The Search

My testimony goes something like this: as an atheist I chased relationships, constantly hunting for the one that would satisfy that gaping chasm of a hole inside of me, that would give me a lasting sense of completeness, value, worth...and give me the answer to the question of why I was created and who I am.
The thing is that the more intimate relationships I had, the bigger that hole got, and I didn't realize it at the time, but the search was getting more desperate, I was getting more desperate. There was great personal expense: divorce, hepatitis B transmitted through intimate contact, ulcers, emotion scars, and physical ones, too, from fits of rage, and self mutilation.
I could deny everything that had anything to do with God, but when I finally surrendered in the end, after exhausting every other possibility, it was the Lord that was there to catch me, and falling into His arms in faith, and trusting Him, I realized the Answer, and the fact that it was right in front of me the whole time.
I was created to dwell in relationship with Him first, and this Holy ordained relationship is the only one that could fill this chasm, finally my search was over.

"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator–who is forever praised. Amen.
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God‑haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Romans 1:18-32

Great is His Faithfulness

"GOD IS FAITHFUL"

These are the words on the epitaph that is cut into the headstone of the great bible scholar and teacher, Derek Prince. Derek Prince was my pastor's pastor, and of all the possible things that could've been written about him, he choose instead to state an attribute of God that we as His children and His Beloved need to know down deep:
"GOD IS FAITHFUL".

God is our heavenly Father.
He is steadfast and never changes.
He will never leave us or forsake us.
His mercies are new every morning.
He turns what was meant for evil into that which is good.
He turns weeping into gladness.
He doesn't look at the outer facade, He looks deep into us,
seeing only what He knows is there.
He takes things and those that the world callS "unqualified" and "foolish",
And creates the most extraordinary, the most valiant
He searches the salvage yards, not the palaces, of humanity,
Seeking out and restoring that which is broken,
He lifts up the heads of the despairing,
He replenishes what the locusts have eaten,
Giving beauty instead of ashes,
Eternal life springs from where death's grip reigned.
His banner over us is love.
Let us all now declare together:
"GOD IS FAITHFUL!"

Forward

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!
For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
Joel 3:14

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:1-3

"If you are in the same place today as you were yesterday, then you are backslidden."
-Smith Wigglesworth

Backsliding... A condition no Christian wants to be in.
We are engaged in a marathon, the distance to the finish line is measured in time, not in length, and none of knows exactly when we will reach it. We are to keep running, nonetheless, no matter what. Our lives as followers of Jesus can sometimes be like swimming against the current, or trying to run on a conveyor belt that's going the other direction. If we grow weary as a runner can and stop we moving forward in our spiritual lives then we will find neither rest for our souls, nor are we are standing still the way the Lord told Moses and the children of Israel to do, we are sliding backwards. The race is being run on an upward slope, with many forces, many hurdles, working against us. We have an adversary who is crafty, who seeks out every weakness in our armor, who's purpose is to wear us out, knowing the race is a long one. Discouragement, lack of vision, worry, anger, and fear can bog us down, causing the "runner" to want to quit, but when we look up, when we maintain our focus and fix our eyes on-and stay fixed on Jesus, when we hear the voice of the Good Shepherd calling to us, we will stay overcomers, and keep going.
God promises us beauty instead of ashes, strength when we are our weakest, and there is no temptation that Jesus has not already endured-and conquered-to give us abundant life.

"Never never never give up..."
Winston Churchill

Material and Immaterial

Why is it that almost without exception that material wealth causes people to walk away from God?

"Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the Lord promised on oath to your forefathers.
Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years.
Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you."
Deut.8:1-3

The Lord knows the hearts of the children of Israel, so He warned them, told them, warned them of the consequences, and the disasters that would befall them if they turned away from Him, and became a wicked, idolatrous, adulterous people. But slowly and surely there was a slow fading away, one decision leading to another, one day a bit colder, and a bit farther away from the Lord. They willfully exchanged worshipping God and communing with Him for created things, Paul said, "exchanging the glory of God for a lie..."
We live in a material world, in a wicked and adulterous generation. Many, even those who profess Jesus and call themselves "Christians", have embraced mammon worship, the love of created things, entertainment as a lifestyle, as in the days of a declining Israel, or the times of Rome on the verge of being sacked by the Visigoths, and totally unaware of the Lord's warnings to His children.

"Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and revering him.
For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.
When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.
Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.
Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you.
You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”
But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed."
Deuteronomy 8:4-19

Beloved, let us make sure, guard, protect, and nurture our relationship with the One who has given us everything, including eternal life. If you have grown cold, or worse- lukewarm- return to Him, draw near to Him, He is waiting for you, for us, to repent and "come home". Cast off the sins that so, so easily ensnare us and trip us up, trash every idol, everything that is immaterial, that will rust and decay.
Choose life.

Paradigms, Perspectives and Possibilities

"Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away.
After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray.
When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them.
But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them,
"Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid."
Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened. "
Mark 6:45-52

In this passage, Jesus had just finished feeding the five thousand, with a couple of fish and five loaves of bread. Somehow though, the disciples were still clueless as to the personhood and nature of who Jesus actually was. Walking across the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) was nothing for the One who is able to command the seas, the winds, revive the dead, heal the sick, but the disciples were self-focused, looking for a messiah who would kick out the Romans, restore the Davidic dynastic line, in other words, fill their shopping list.
The disciples were worldly, their hearts were still stone, and although they had dropped everything career-wise, materially and followed Him, they were still without the revelation of the knowledge of who He really was, and is today: the Son of the living God.
These men spent most of those 3 1/2 years with Jesus. They heard him, saw how He lived and loved, and yet they didn't "get it".
Do we "get" Him, do we have that insight that was so illusive even to those who surrounded Him? Today, I want to put this out there: We who are His disciples, who are called by His name and know all about Jesus, the miracles, etc. that He did...
Are we drawn by who He is and His holiness, worthiness, magnificence, or are we just looking to the "benefits" part of what it means to follow Jesus?
How do you "see" Jesus?
In the end, it took the crucifixion,resurrection, and indwelling of the Holy Spirit for the disciples to gain the insight needed, and in the end they made the hard choices, the right choices, even losing their temporal earthly lives to gain eternity with Jesus.
Beloved, the time is coming, and even now has come in some countries, where our brothers and sisters are making those choices, who love Jesus more than their own lives, and are laying them down for Him.
Real insight and revelation is what gives us the strength to fearlessly make these choices.
Are you prepared to do likewise?

Filling Stations

And He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while." (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
Mark 6:31

This week I was talking to my wife and some siblings in the Lord about my desire to start withdrawing to a solitary place, just like Jesus did frequently. I was listening to Misty Edwards of IHOP-KC talking about the fasted lifestyle, but not just fasting from foods, but from all the things that bombard us constantly. All of this input, huge amounts of media, the cares and demands of daily life, create tremendous noise and distractions.
The Lord through His Holy Spirit speaks to us in a "still small voice", in a whisper, requiring us to lean in and be attentive, to be still and turn off everything else. When I say everything, I mean to say-as the Lord is saying to me- everything: Starting with our smartphones, iPads, twitter, Facebook, tumblr, email,text messages, TV, radio, CD/DVD, phone calls...everything.
Just us and Him alone in the Garden, sitting in our Father's lap, on our faces with the Holy Spirit, attended by the burning ones, the seraphim crying HOLY HOLY HOLY nonstop before Him.
This is a hunger and thirst that is inside most of us, that will only be satisfied by quiet times at the "filling station".
Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for they will be filled.

"And early in the morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying there."
Mark 1:35

"And immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the multitude away. And after bidding them farewell, he departed to the mountain to pray."
Mark 6:45-46

Today, beloved, listen to that still small voice, turn off the noise and come away, meet Him in the Garden soon and often, whether an open country field, your closet, or other any place that affords you a time of solitude, that precious time to meet with Him.

Taking It Back

"From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force."
Matthew 11:12

I am really angry. Recently I have heard news about old friends, believers, some of whom are sick, depressed, discouraged, and basically entirely immobilized!
These were powerful brothers and sisters who, for a variety of reasons, are now powerless, held captive by unbelief, discouragement, depression, and more.
The Word says that "the fervent prayers of the righteous avail much"...we are called to be soldiers, warriors, waging war, taking it all back by violent, forceful prayer and worship, and we are to do this without ceasing.
How are you responding today in the face of trials and difficulties?
Put on your armor, today beloved, right now... wage war in the spirit, take it all back today.

Heartbroken 305

I want to share the Word of the Lord that He is speaking to me today:

But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place-unless you repent.
Revelation 2:4, 5

Part of my testimony is that at the time of my ultimate brokenness, and subsequent restoration, that the Lord told me:
"I HAVE THIS AGAINST YOU...RETURN TO ME, I'M YOUR FIRST LOVE..." this word from the throne broke my heart, but it was necessary because I had embraced the junk of this world.
Somehow I had strayed so far away from my first love, Jesus...it had happened slowly, insidiously...I had pursued other loves, and I had failed to realize and understand who The Lord really is, and how jealous, ragingly jealous the Lord our Bridegroom is regarding relationship with each of us, and how important we are to Him.

"Yet even now," declares the LORD,
"Return to Me with all your heart,
And with fasting, weeping and mourning; And rend your heart and not your garments."
Now return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness
And relenting of evil.
Joel 2:12, 13

Our home coming can only happen when our hardened hearts are broken,
when we are willing to lose our own lives to gain the Abundant life.
In Joel 2, His spirit is poured out, but only after our hearts are broken.
We are to be transformed, yielded, holding nothing back.
We may think that we understand God, that He is altogether like us, but He is not!
Let us not think that we can have hide things, dark things, from everyone, including Him and put on a nice show, a nice god-like veneer, but God sees everything, and knows everything!
In this time, even now, the Lord is exposing everything: deception, lies, rhetorical hair-splitting, and rationalizing away idolatrous, sinful living.
That is a weighty and sobering thought, don't you think?

We are in the valley of decision, beloved, we can either fall on the Cornerstone and be broken and surrendered to Him, return to Him, and enter into real relationship with our First Love, or eventually be crushed because of our unbelief, our unwillingness to surrender self interests and self desires.

The Children of Israel were at a similar place, as Joshua spoke plainly to them, and I will leave you with this:
If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
Joshua 24:15

Threshing Floors

"On that day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” So David went up, as the Lord had commanded through Gad. Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”
“To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped.”
Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever pleases him and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. O king, Araunah gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the Lord your God accept you.”
But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it.
I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”
So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them.
Excerpts from 2 Samuel 24:18-25

"Then Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the place provided by David."
2 Chronicles 3:1

Threshing is a process where whole wheat stalks, and anything that looks like wheat (tares, weeds) are thrown onto the threshing floor, and then beaten, tossed, shaken, and beaten repeatedly, separating the grains on wheat from the chaff. It is a violently actively process designed to separate and purify.
It was while I lived in Israel that I first discovered that the place that Solomon built the Bet HaKnesset haGadol, the Temple, was the very threshing floor David bought from Araunah! I still wonder and marvel at the fact the God chose the resting place for the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy of Holies to be the threshing floor, not an oasis like En Gedi, or Eden...a threshing floor. Somehow, threshing, brokenness, refining, purity, surrender are tied together with worship, entering into His presence, holiness, abiding and communing with our Master/Bridegroom, in ways I feel in my heart, but can't even put words to...
Threshing, a synonym of refining, is part of our lives. The refining we experience, while difficult, is never without purpose, it's part of the process our Father uses to "beat the chaff" out of us. When finally we surrender, what's left is pure, polished, bright, and shiny. The Bridegroom is ironing the wrinkles out the the Bride's wedding dress...
John the Baptizer proclaimed that the "chaff would be gathered up and thrown into the unquenchable fire" (Luke 3:17, Matt 3:12)...when we are going through trials, "on the threshing floor", let us embrace the process, knowing the end result, and not be caught with any chaff clinging to us!

Surprises

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.
That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
Two men ill be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.
Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.
So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
Matthew 24:36-44

Last night I was at a weekly men's meeting, a Bible study/discussion sort of forum.
The question was raised: Are you ready right now for the return of the Son of Man?
As we round tabled this, back and forth, I considered and realized the facts:
Jesus promised He would return, He told us that no one would know exactly when-it would be a surprise, but we are to keep watch, to have our spiritual affairs in order, to be ready.
As it was in the days of Noah so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man...are you ready?
I don't say this arrogantly, or rhetorically, or accusatorily... But, if the heavens rolled back like scrolls and Jesus returned now- will you be found ready? Does your heart belong to him, really belong to Him- do you love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, or are your thoughts occupied by the rising and falling the Dow, who will take the Super Bowl, the World Series, the next American Idol, that new house &/or car you are buying...?

Beloved, who do you love? Do you long to be at the ultimate Wedding feast, or are you just too busy to even really think about something that seems to be so far off?
Noah's neighbors had ample opportunity, ample information, and ample time to make wise choices, and yet I'm sure the doors to the ark were covered with the finger nail marks of those desperate and surprised when the Flood came.
Don't be found among those surprised...get ready, be ready.
Stay ready.

To Do List

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor."
Isaiah 61:1-3

I was reading Isaiah 61 yesterday, this passage that Jesus read in the synagogue in Nazereth, at his "coming out", the beginning of his earthly ministry.
He said, "THIS SCRIPTURE IS NOW FULFILLED IN YOUR HEARING".
As I reread this, I heard the Holy Spirit say to me,
""Jesus told you that greater things than these are you able to do", as you embrace the Cross, casting aside your self: preaching, binding and healing, proclaiming, comforting, releasing, bestowing, anointing, planting."
These are some of the many facets of the diadem we call love.
Beloved, if the Spirit of the Lord is on you, it is also in you;
I believe that this word is for you also, part of your "to-do list",
as we are called to imitate and follow The King of Kings- Jesus.
We can do all these things through Christ who strengthens us.

Don't Stop (Believing)

After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.
“Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked.
“There is nothing there,” he said.
Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”
The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea.”
So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’ ”
Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel.
1 Kings 18:1, 42-45

Elijah heard the word of the Lord promising the end of the three year long drought, but first he had to face off against the pagan prophets of Ba'al, and afterwards he had to contend in prayer for the fruition of God's promise of rain.
Many of us have had prophetic words, promises spoken over us, some of them some time ago, and at first we may be excited, praying vigorously, but as time passes discouragement can come if the prophetic promises are delayed, and soon our prayers can erode away. Look at Elijah and what he faced, he knew the faithful God he served. He didn't listen to any whispers of doubt from the enemy that may have snuck into the back of his mind, his strong faith taking captive such thoughts. He prayed, and when nothing happened he continued on, and when still nothing happened, he continued on...
He knew in his heart that the rain was coming, his unshakeable faith in God sustaining him.

In your own life don't be discouraged when things don't happen according to your ideas and schedules. Your ideas and ways simply aren't God's, and everything happens for a reason, and works together for your ultimate good, and we have to trust that our Father/King/Master who has been around forever know a little bit more than we do.
Beloved, don't stop believing and trusting, this is what faith is.
Keep on praying, talking to your Abba, till something happens...don't quit...keep running this race we call life.
See you at the finish line.

The Power of Praise

Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary; 
praise him in his mighty heavens. 
Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness. 
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre, 
praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute, 
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals. 
 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord. 
Psalm 150:1-6 

Praise the Lord. It is something that we are told to do, suggested we do, encouraged to do. It is easy to praise Him, sort of a "gimme a high-five" when thing are going awesome, when health is robust, when love is in the air, when bank accounts and investment portfolios are robust. But when we are being pruned, when navigating life's stormy waters it is difficult to praise Him, because we can forget the reason that the Lord God/the Uncreated Creator of the Universe/ King deserves praise is not because of what He does for us, but because of who He is.
He is always worthy of all our praise, and when we remember this, and we unleash our praises we move through a progressive Supernatural dynamic, especially in our own weakness, that Scripture describes:

Praise the Lord Ps.150:6
The Lord inhabits the praises of His people  Ps.22:3
In His presence is fullness of joy Ps.16:11
The joy of the Lord is our strength Ne.8:10

Praise brings us into His presence, where fullness of joy is found,
And fullness of joy is our strength!

Let everything...and everyone ...that has breath praise the Lord!

Plan B

But Abram said, “O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.”
Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
Genesis 15:2-4

God Himself promised Abram (Abraham) and Sarai (Sarah) a son, but the Lord did not tell them when it would happen. After years of waiting for what they perceived as being patient without the promise (Plan A) being fulfilled, they decided to resort to "Plan B", a plan of their own, to "help God" along...

"Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.”
Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived."
Genesis 16:1-4

Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has a plan for our lives, a plan for our benefit, for our good, not for evil. When a word is spoken over us, when Plan A (God's will) is revealed, patience, trust, and obedience must be exercised. The Word says that "Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness", and yet he grew tired of waiting, doubt crept in, replacing faith and trust. The result was disastrous, the result was Illigetimacy manifested in rebellion in the descendants of Ishmael. Throughout history the world has paid a heavy price ever since, and contention between the children of Abraham through Isaac (the eventual Plan A), and those descended through Ishmael, the impetuous result of a "Plan B".
We know this and many other passages where a "Plan B" was chosen with negative outcomes!
They stand as lessons for us on what not to do! Why then do the people of God (including myself) sometimes grow so impatient, and seek to "help God out", taking up their own plans?
The Scriptures tell us to persevere, endure, wait on the Lord, sticking to the Lord's plan of our lives.
Beloved, stick to Plan A, God's plan, even if we have not seen the fruit yet...scrap any other plan.
He is faithful to complete it.

Unchangeable

Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
Psalm 27:10

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5

I was watching our wedding video with some friends, filmed in 1988, last week.
In the video some folks that were good friends at the time sang the Michael W. Smith song, "Friends"... Friends are friends are friends forever ... We haven't seen or heard from any of them in many years though.
I would not have expected that to happen, at that time, but the truth is that human relational dynamics are uncertain and sketchy. The one certainty about people is that if we place our trust and hope in them alone we stand a great chance of being terribly let down.
People's attitudes change, they move geographically and emotionally-in each of our lives, they come and go.
But as for God...He never changes, His dynamics are love and we are always on His mind. The Scriptures tell us that even if our own earthly parents were to forsake us, that God will take us up, receive us with open arms.
Beloved, fix your eyes on Jesus, trust Him...you will not be disappointed.

Diversions

"Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path."
Psalm 119:105 NIV84)

"Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”"
Matthew 4:4, 10

"Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Avoid every kind of evil."
1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18, 22

What are the two most powerful weapons in a Christian's arsenal?
Are they not prayer and the Word ?
After fasting for forty days and being tempted by satan, the Lord Jesus who had all power and authority did not use His authority, per se, but the power contained by the living and active Word, saying to the devil: IT IS WRITTEN.
Charles Spurgeon said," Show me a Christian who's bible is falling apart, and I'll show you a Christian who's life isn't."
We know that we need to ask-seek-knock, and pray without ceasing, so here is my question: If we know the power contained here, then why is it so difficult to stay in the Word, and keep on praying?
Let us remember we have a cunning adversary, who knows every trick, and will use them all, every diversion to sidetrack us from "eating the scroll" and proclaiming prayers, in both our natural and supernatural tongues.
Let us remember to be aware that this war is not one of flesh and blood, but is raging over and around us in the spiritual world.
Eat the scroll, stay in your bible, pray without ceasing.
Defeat is not an option.

Optimism

The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”
“But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.”
The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?”
“But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
Judges 6:11-15

How did Gideon view himself when the angel appeared to him? He saw himself as weak, unable, powerless, the least of the least. But Gideon was already known in the heavens, and by the Lord of the Heavenly Armies (Adonai Tza'ot) Himself as a mighty warrior. God searches our hearts, He looks at things not as always as they are but how they can be, I dare say will be, as we surrender our way, and plug the Lord's directions into our heart, which is our navigational system. Pilots learn to trust their instruments, flying where they cannot see...in the same way, we are to walk by faith, not by sight.
As fathers, mothers, spouses, friends, leaders, encouragers, how do we see and respond to others? How do we view ourselves?
Do we condemn when there is a stumble, if we or others get off the narrow Path, or do we put our arms arounds them, get face to face with them, and tell them-GOD HAS A GREAT PLAN FOR YOU AND IT'S GOING TO BE FULL OF HIM. The omniscient and omnipotent God loves, hopes, and believes in each of us...what a staggeringLy awesome thought.
We are already famous in Heaven and there are volumes in the annals of the Library of eternity, that will declare what we will yet become, the victories that lie ahead, all for God's purposes and ultimate Glory.

He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed–the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
Romans 4:17b

Refining

See, I have refined you, though not as silver;
I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
Isaiah 48:10

The process of producing forged steel is quite interesting:
The raw iron ore is mined, after which it's taken the the mill where it is crushed, put into a furnace at extremely high temperatures, and after the impurities are burned away, the material is shaped under high pressure, and then the steel is beaten on...the result is extremely strong tempered (forged) steel.
I have found this analogy quite apt for certain stages of our lives in Christ. We do not escape the fire, rather, we can be sure that it is coming, and perhaps even now has come as we endure various trials.

"But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness"
Malachi 3:2, 3

What should be our response as we are going through the fire?
Anxiety to the point of ulcers, hypertensions, depression or other illnesses?
Should we hang our heads down, or wonder why it is that we are experiencing these various hardships and trials?
Do we think that we are alone, that our brothers and sisters are not going through similar things?

This third I will bring into the fire;
I will refine them like silver
and test them like gold.
They will call on my name
and I will answer them;
I will say, ‘They are my people,’
and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’ ”
Zechariah 13:9

No, my brothers and sisters, we are being tried and will continue to have various trials, until He either comes for us, or we go to Him. The Word tells us this very thing.
I write this as I'm going through the furnace myself, but am confident of this very thing:
We will endure and triumph as we focus on Jesus, endured terrible trials for our sakes, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Beloved, look up, lift up the Light of your countenance, forget what lies behind...its going to be worth it all.

Tearing Off The Shrouds/Glory With The Bridegroom

There is magnificence and majesty that blazes in the heavens over us.
While we go about our everyday lives, this incredible event takes place at the throne room. This world, in spite of its beauty, cannot compare to what is taking place in the heavens.

After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

“Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,

who was, and is, and is to come.”

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty‑four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

“You are worthy, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they were created

and have their being.” 

Rev. 4

In our experiences in this life we can accumulate debris, where we can become wrapped up in the ho-hum day to day living, forgetting to look up, shrouded in the cares and concerns of this world,  just as Lazarus' corpse was in its burial clothes. 

But  Jesus called to a dead Lazarus, penetrating the shrouding:

"When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” "
John 11:43-44

Jesus calls to us, desires to rip off these shrouds that impede us: Discouragement, depression, self-indulgence and selfishness, the cares and worries of this world, fleshly desires. These things and legions like them, keep us "down here",  but the Lord wants us to experience what the angels and the elders see. I want to see what they see!
Isaiah and Ezekiel were forever changed, ruined for lesser things:

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple." 
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” 
Isaiah 6:1, 5

I am not satisfied with the day to day drollness of life here, and sometimes it is really hard to push through difficulties, afflictions...I need to remember the words of Isaiah: "He gives rest to the weary..."
We are not made for this world, and I long to hear those words from the Lord, "Come up here, I have things to show you", or better yet, "your time there is over, well done good and faithful servant, enter into your rest, let me show you around your new home, as we head over to the throne room!"
This is not morbidness, and it is not death I long for; it's the beginning of real life, it's being united with the Bridegroom, and until He either comes for me, or I go to him, I will long for that day.

The Liberating Mechanics of Forgiveness/Releasing

Consider this scenario: You have been hurt, wronged, slandered, perhaps the victim of a crime, or any other scenario where you have been wronged. You might be hopping mad, and you have a right to be, and in your anger, tears, and with your teeth gritted together you utter the words: "I WILL NEVER FORGIVE OR FORGET."

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Matthew 18:21, 22

Why would Jesus say this? How could He tell us that we have to forgive those who have sinned against us? How could He possibly know how we feel or what we have been put through?
He got up on that cross for us, and among His last words in that body were, "Father forgive them..."
Unforgiveness is costly...much more so than we sometimes realize. The heart of flesh turns to stone, roots of bitterness form, every waking thought is consumed by hatred, anger, holding onto that pain, it requires tremendous emotional and spiritual maintenance to stay there.
In farming and rural areas there is a contest known as a "tractor pull".
In the contest, the tractor pulls a huge sled loaded with weights, and as it goes forward the weights move forward! increasing the load until the tractor is immobilized.
As we walk forward the weight of unforgiveness and its burdens becomes heavier, and eventually it can change our destiny, changing our focus from Jesus to ourselves... In it are contained poisonous elements of selfishness. In the cup of unforgiveness is slavery and death-physical and spiritual.

Jesus issued us a warning:
"For if you forgive As we walk forward the burden becomes heavier.other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. "
Matthew 6:14, 15

Consider now what happens when we forgive! We release it all to the Lord, casting these burdens away, and as we do, we release not only those we wouldn't forgive, but more importantly, ourselves.
I believe our forgiving others is a form of worship, and it goes up as incense before the Lord...
Life begins anew, the same mercies we extend are extended to us, slavery is replaced with freedom and truth.

Conquering Depression

The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned. (Isaiah 9:2 NIV84)

More than ten percent of Americans suffer the effects of chronic depression and anxiety. Everyone knows the awful oppression, the "dark cloud" that can hover over us. It is debilitating, often times making it difficult or impossible to function, immobilizing the oppressed/depressed person. Just where the enemy wants to put us!
Many are worried about 2012 being the "end of the world", because of Mayan calendars, or Nostradamus predictions...
But my Bible says to "cast ALL my cares on my God", that Jesus Himself is the "Light and the abundant Life", the God who loves us and cares for us is omnipotent and omnipresent.
Fear, doubt, worry are not from God...these dark things smell like smoke, and are from the author of lies, just like the serpent caused Eve to doubt what the Lord told Adam.
Below are some scripture verses that encourage me (there are so many)!
Remember: When God is for us, who can be against us? The trials will come, but Jesus said "take heart" - meaning: be encouraged, strengthened, emboldened, and preserverance and endurance will be produced.

Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?”
Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.
You have filled my heart with greater joy
than when their grain and new wine abound.
Psalm 4:6, 7

An anxious heart weighs a man down,
but a kind word cheers him up.
Proverbs 12:25 NIV84

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
Isaiah 60:1, 2

Compulsions

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do–this I keep on doing. Romans 7:15-19

A couple days ago I found myself thinking about why people (including myself) do the things we sometimes do. We "know better" usually, but sometimes we do the very things we ought not to, succumbing to compulsions, impulses, trading a better, more excellent way for immediate gratification.

A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was sterile and remained childless. The angel of the LORD appeared to her and said, “You are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son. Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean, because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”
Judges 13:2-5
Then Manoah prayed to the LORD: “O Lord, I beg you, let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.”
Judges 13:8
Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. When he returned, he said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.” His father and mother replied, “Isn't there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?”
But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She's the right one for me.”
Judges 14:1-3

Samson was a son of promise, an angel with a name beyond human understanding announced his arrival. Through him the people of Israel would begin to be delivered from the oppression of their arch-enemies, the inhabitants of Gaza, the Philistines.
His parents were so impacted by that angelic encounter and the subsequent meeting when the angel returned that they wanted the angel to give them the "owner's manual" on raising this Nazirite boy.
They did the best they could, but this boy/man grew up spoiled, impetuous, lacked self control, trusted his own strength, (which wasn't his at all, but God-given for a specific purpose), lusty, and compulsive, given over to knee-jerk reactions, generally caused by another reaction to yet another compulsive act of his own doing!
Because he gave into immediate gratification (eating honey from dead lion carcass, repeated involvement with foreign women, giving away the secrets of his strength)... He traded the delayed promises of God and as a result it cost him his freedom. His enslavement to his fleshly nature had already enslaved him, all his enemies had to do was shackle him, and it was game over, or was it?
In spite of these flaws, Samson had ruled as a judge in Israel for 20 years, and he was somewhat redeemed, though it cost him his life, three thousand of his enemies were crushed (literally) as Samson prayed and was strengthened one last time, his last performance for his captors "bringing down the house".
Beloved, submit yourself to His will, rather than our own.
Tread lightly down the narrow path, and prayerfully.

Letting Go

"Train up a child in the way he should go, And even when he is old he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6

A child straddles his/ her shiny new bicycle without training wheels for the first time, as their parent steadies it and holds it upright. As the child starts to pedal, the parent runs along with the new rider, continuing to guide and encourage and then suddenly the parent releases their grasp on the bike. It is with the full knowledge that their beloved child may fall as they learn to ride solo, but there is no choice but to let go, trust the child, and what has been poured into them, calling encouragement,
" YOU ARE DOING AWESOME... I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT...THAT'S IT... SHAKE IT OFF...GET BACK UP..."
We don't want to see the rider fall, we only want them to do well, so it can be tough to let go, but unless we do, the child's development will be thwarted , their growth arrested.
The opportunity and gift of parenthood is an earthly glimpse into what our heavenly Father experiences in the relationship that has existed since Adam between Him and each of us.
We are stewards, not owners, of these prized possessions-they are God's, not ours.
The scriptures tell us we are "beautifully and fearfully made", each one so special, each child is a gift.
We are to remember the Father/Child relationship aspect of our lives in Jesus, how He loves us, and all of the parental experiences we go through with our kids - are reflections of our lives in the Lord.
Parenting is like gardening, it requires diligence and faithfulness; love is the fertilizer. Some seeds take longer to sprout and blossom than others. Gladiola bulbs lie dormant in the ground through long cold winters, but when seasons change and the warmth of the sun falls on them, something suddenly is activated and a common bulb turns into a beautiful plant.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Kings/ Choices

"Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews.
But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!"
"Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked.
"We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.
John 19:14b-15

Jesus is our King, proclaimed here even from the mouth of Pilate. We were created for one primary reason, to love the Lord, with everything we are made of, as summed up in the first and greatest commandment, and to worship Him alone. God's people, both the natural (our Jewish siblings) and thoses grafted in branches (those from the other flock Jesus told his disciples about, non-Jews, all who believe). But there is a flawed trait, a corrupted idolatrous, adulterous character, that causes His most precious masterpieces to chase lesser kings, worthless things, prostituting themselves, trading positions of privilege for worthless legacies of curses and judgement.

But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights." But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. "
1 Samuel 8:6-9, 19, 20

Who is your king, who has control and authority over you? Who, or what, is the number one thing that you think of, dwell on, has sway over you? Is it a career, a person, an item? If your honest, real answer is anything other than the King of Kings, then you are in a prodigal place, and the Father desperately wants you to come back home.
There will only ever be one King, one Father, one Bridegroom for us, His Creation, and nothing will ever satisfy or fill that "God-shaped vacuum" except the Uncreated Creator.
No matter where you are, what you have done, what line or boundary you have violated,
it's never too far or too late.
Come home today.

Leading and Following

Jesus answered, “ You must follow me.”
John 21:22b

"Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me".
Luke 9:23

I was discussing aspects of spiritual life with a mature and respected brother of mine the other day, and the topic of shepherding came up. My brother has been a pastor and leader before and the comment that he made to me that struck me was, " As a pastor, I led by example...I would never ask my sheep to do anything that I didn't already do, and model, for them first."
Further meditation on this question: I asked the Lord, why are believers referred to as sheep, and not as cattle, or other animals?
The answer came quickly: Sheep are not driven as cattle are, they are led, with the flock responding to the vision of the shepherd and the sound of his voice.
"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27 NIV)
We are to keep our eyes fixed on the Good Shepherd, Following Him, but we are also shepherds to others in our lives. Follow the example of Jesus, and others who have taken their places in the "great cloud of witnesses". In your church, whether you are the pastor, elder, usher, or part of the body, in your home and family, in the workplace-wherever-follow Jesus' example, and you'll find that others will do likewise!